minstrel: RE: Love going to sea

[Corrie Bergeron]

I've run across a few, but the only one that comes immediately to mind is
"If I Were a Blackbird" where the lad comes back after many years gone to
find his lady has taken ship herself, and left him:

I am a young sailor, my story is sad
For once I was carefree and a brave sailor lad
I courted a lassie by night and by day
But now she has left me and sailed far away

CHORUS:
If I were a blackbird, could whistle and sing
I'd follow the vessel my true love sails in
And in the top riggin' I'd there make my nest
And flutter my wings o'er her lily white breast

Or if I was a scholar and could handle a pen
One secret love letter to my true love I'd send
And I'd tell of my sorrow, my grief and my pain
Since she's gone and left me in yon flow'ry glen

CHORUS

I sailed o'er the ocean, my fortune to seek
Though I missed her caress and her kiss on my cheek
I returned and I told her my love was still warm
But she turned away lightly and great was her scorn

CHORUS

I offered to take her to Donnybrook Fair
And to buy her fine ribbons to tie up her hair
I offered to marry and to stay by her side
But she sailed in the morning, she sailed with the tide

CHORUS

My parents they chide me, and will not agree
Saying that me and my false love married should never be
Ah but let them deprive me, let them do what they will
While there's breath in my body, she's the one that I love still

CHORUS

You can hear the melody (with guitar accompaniment) on my MP3 page; I used
the tune for "Damian's Lament."

For lyrics in general, the Mudcat Cafe (www.mudcat.org) is a *fabulous*
source.  That's the home of the Digital Tradition database, with 8000+ folk
and trad songs.

Brendan O Corraidhe

Corrie Bergeron, Jr.
"An educated mind is useless without a focused will,
and dangerous without a loving heart." - W.M. Deijmann
corrie at itasca.net
www.itasca.net/~corrie

-----Original Message-----
   1. Love going to sea (Jonathan Kessler)

From: Jonathan Kessler <jkessler at cisco.com>
Subject: minstrel: Love going to sea

I just heard a song called "In London So Fair", about a sailor who takes
leave of his love to go to sea, and she follows him (disguised as a lad),
eventually reveals herself to him, and they wed and live together at sea.
Anyone have lyrics to this?
Or know of other songs where lady successfully follows lad to sea (or to
war)?  There are certainly plenty of songs where the lady is left behind,
with various results.  It was enjoyable to hear this one.
JK